Nyra's Song
by Jamiecole2
Summary: An Unexpected encounter for the 10th Doctor before his Song ends. I DO NOT OWN DOCTOR WHO OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS/CONCEPTS USED IN MY STORY...I DO NOT CLAIM THEM, AS THEY BELONG TO THE BBC.
The wind whispered through the trees on that fateful autumn night so long ago. I don't know why things happened the way that they did, but I wouldn't regret any of it. His song was so clear to me, even now I could still play it. He couldn't stay though as much as he wanted to. He told me that at the very start. But I would like to think I let him forget about his troubles for one day just by being by his side and listening. Because after all, everyone knows that I am a very good listener. This is my story.

Nyra Windsong heard the strange noise before she saw its source. She had been working on a painting in the studio of her log cabin in the woods. It was a modern affair with all the amenities like water and electricity, and it allowed her the privacy she liked. The noise sounded like a cross between the sound of a bellows and a little bit of hissing thrown in for measure. As it got louder she saw the appearance of blue police box. The door opened and to her surprise a man stepped outside of it. So she went out to meet him. "Who are you; I haven't seen you around here before. Normally no one makes their way to this place as it's so secluded." Nyra normally would have been less kind with the initial questioning, but something told her that this wasn't a normal visitor.

"Ah well, yes, I'm sorry about that. I had entered the coordinates for the Planet Valoria in the Virgo system, but for some reason, I ended up here." The man said running his hand through his brown hair that stuck up a little in the front. His chocolate brown eyes were full of laughter. "My name's the Doctor, I can't stay here, but maybe you could help me find my way to where I'm supposed to be."

"My name is Nyra Windsong, Doctor, but I don't know how I would be able to help you. If you'll come inside I'll make you a cup of tea and maybe you could figure out what you need to do. Maybe if you take a step back, you'll see where you went wrong. For the record this is the Planet Arborian in the Gemini System, so you were just a bit off."

"Nyra Windsong? You mean as in the Windsong Musicians? Their music is legendary and revered throughout the galaxies." The Doctor said in excitement as he followed her into her cabin. He noted the painting, unfinished on the easel in the studio. "Are you a painter then?" He asked her as he saw more completed ones hanging on the walls of the studio. Each painting told a story, each stroke had meaning.

"Yes, while I do have some talent with the flute, my best work came out in my paintings. Sometimes, sometimes the picture I would paint would tell quite the story. I used to get so many requests for my artwork, that I moved out here and had a cabin built for me. Someone delivers my food order every week, and I get by. Now anything I paint comes from what I see. I can still hear Songs though, like the rest of my kin, and yours is so sad. I've been able to hear it ever since you entered my cabin." Nyra explained. "So would you like to tell me what happened?"

"I lost her, the woman I loved. I could never get her back again. She's far beyond my reach." The Doctor said, unable to stop himself from opening up to this woman. Nyra had brought him back his cup of tea and had set the sugar and cream before him. He mixed in the cream and a spoonful of sugar before continuing. "We were trying to fix a tear between realities. We were successful, but the force of the wind pulled her through to the parallel Earth. The doors closed. I couldn't get her back, and the way was closed to me forever." The Doctor took a sip of his tea.

"Go on, what else is there? I'm here to listen to you." Nyra asked softly, taking his free hand and offering support.

"Donna, she traveled with me and she was my match. But in the end…In the end she triggered the Metacrisis, and there can never be a human/time lord Metacrisis. Her mind couldn't handle it, and it was killing her. So I was forced to take away the memories of all that she'd become. The first time that she remembers what she was, it will kill her. And yet, she will never know that her name will be spoken of across the galaxies and worlds that she touched and saved." The Doctor fought the tears that were threatening to fall. How could this one woman make him bare his soul and ask for nothing in return?

"Is there more you would tell me?" Nyra asked again. There was another reason that she'd moved away from the cities, but never shared with anyone. She had a minor Empathic gift. Not strong enough to make her miserable, but enough to know when someone needed Healing. She'd sensed it right when he'd first spoken to her. All Windsong bloodline were Empathic to some extent, it's why they could hear the Songs of the Universe and play them. Unfortunately, those of her family with the stronger gifts usually went mad from picking up all those emotions. And that was even if they were trained to block the emotions themselves. Theirs was a dying family, and soon in the course of years, would be gone.

"Martha, she traveled with me after the loss of Rose. But I never saw her for the gift that she truly was. All I could think about was Rose. When I finally opened up to her, she had decided it was her time to separate herself from me. She wanted to stay, but she felt that it would be better on her, as well as me not to. She traveled briefly with me again when I had Donna, but she returned home to her fiancé." The tears had indeed started to fall and he put his head down on his arm as he sat at the table trying to hide them.

Nyra could act now. She went over and got her flute from its case. Her music should be good enough to heal him, and if not completely heal him ease his burden. She sat down again at a chair close enough to him to be effected, but not so close as to blast his ears out. She started to play his song, a song that had been growing through all his lives. His song that had been created thanks to all his reincarnations, some of it happy, some of it sad, and some of it full of rage. She played it hoping it reached his very soul. As she played his song, she added some notes in there, a song of healing which had been the first song she'd ever been taught as a child.

The Doctor gasped as he heard the Song of his Lives being played out by Nyra. He heard the healing song that she'd woven into it as well. It was as if a burden had been lifted from him, a song of forgiveness. He lifted his head and turned his gaze to this one woman who had encountered him by chance. A mis-programming of coordinates, but was it really by chance that he'd arrived here?

By the time Nyra had finished, the sun was setting. She got up and placed the flute back in its case and turned to face the Doctor. "How do you feel?" She asked him. She noticed the tears were dried from his eyes and he was smiling.

"Better than I have in hundreds of years. Thank you." The Doctor got up and went over to her kissing her on the forehead. "I don't know what else to say but thank you."

Nyra wrapped her arms around his waist as he held her. "I know you can't stay, but I would like to show you one thing more before you leave me." She reluctantly pulled away from his hold and took him into her studio. A covered painting stood over in the corner. She had finished it long ago and now she would give it to him as a parting gift. "This painting is yours to take with you. Remove the covering."

The Doctor intrigued by the request removed the cover over the painting. He gasped as he saw what was painted there. Himself, in this Life, surrounded by the faces of the people he'd touched. All of his companions, but there was one more person in the back of the gathering. Still able to be seen, and the features could still be distinguished. He looked and then realized. "That's you in the back there, but why are you in the back and not in the front with the others?"

"Because, I would never be able to travel with you among the stars you love so much. You have such a great Destiny, and more deeds to accomplish before your Life ends as it is now. I was glad I could relieve you of some of the burden that you bear with my Music. I finished this painting a week ago; I saw it in a Dream. I wish that I would have been able to come with you." Nyra said softly.

"Then come with me." The Doctor said holding out his hand to her.

"My empathic gift would be a hindrance to you. I would be picking up the thoughts of everyone to some extent; even with the shielding my family has incorporated into our training since the beginnings of our Family. My gift is not the strongest but it is still there." Nyra said sadly shaking her head. "Maybe someday…" Nyra said softly. "Take the picture and go…My work is done. The Universe sang to me of your arrival before your Song ends. I painted what you needed to see." Nyra ran out of the room preventing him from seeing her tears. She had wanted so badly to travel with him. She wished she could see what he did, but it was impossible.

The Doctor heard her crying in room behind the closed door. His hearts ached for her, but he knew she was right. "Maybe someday…" He whispered through the door hoping she heard him. He took the painting with him and got back into his TARDIS and took off, back to the stars he loved. He hung the painting in his room on the TARDIS. No matter how much damage ever happened to the TARDIS, his room would always remain intact. It was the safest place on the old girl after all. Nyra had healed him, and taken some of his burden from him. For that he'd always be thankful and he would never forget her.

Nyra heard the Doctor leave. It hurt her so much to send him away and not take his offer, but she knew it was for the best. She also knew he'd taken the painting. She sighed and dried her tears. "Alone again, as it should be…Safe travels, My Doctor. Safe Travels and all my Love…" Nyra said going outside onto her deck and viewing the bright full moon in the sky.


End file.
